MusicRow is proud to reveal the honorees for its 10th annual Rising Women on the Row celebration. This year’s ceremony will honor six female executives who are making a significant impact on Nashville’s country music industry.
City National Bank and Loeb & Loeb are Presenting Sponsors for the 2023 Rising Women on the Row, which will take place at the Omni Nashville Hotel on the morning of March 23.
River House Artists President & Founder, Lynn Oliver-Cline, will be the featured speaker at the event. Attendees will be treated to insights from Oliver-Cline during an on-stage interview with MusicRow Owner/Publisher Sherod Robertson.
Tickets are now closed and will not be sold at the door.
This year’s honorees include:
Stacy Blythe
Stacy Blythe – SVP of Promotion, Big Loud Records
Leading Big Loud Records in achieving 14 No. 1 singles in seven years of business, Stacy Blythe is a vital part of the ever-changing game of radio promotion, storming right out of the gate in 2015 with the label’s first-ever single release, and driving it to the top of the charts for then-newcomer Chris Lane’s Gold breakout, “Fix.” As SVP of Promotion, she spearheads a team of 10, securing and maximizing airplay for the label’s roster, including Morgan Wallen, Jake Owen, Lauren Alaina, Hardy, MacKenzie Porter, Ernest, Hailey Whitters, Ben Burgess, Larry Fleet, Lily Rose, Ashley Cooke, and Jake Worthington. She has contributed to the Big Loud roster earning multiple Gold, Platinum, and multi-Platinum certifications and accounting for more than 17 billion global streams to date, making Big Loud Records the Billboard Hot Country Songs label of the year for the last two years. The Pittsburgh native is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University with other notable career stops at Category 5 Records, 1720 Entertainment, and Stoney Creek Records.
Martha Earls
Martha Earls – Owner and Manager, Neon Coast
Martha Earls founded and leads entertainment company Neon Coast. Through its management division, Neon Coast represents a diverse slate of multi-Platinum selling, critically acclaimed talent including Kane Brown, Restless Road, Dylan Schneider, Nightly, Feather and others. Its in-house production company—Demasiado—has been honored with CMT and ACM Awards and produced content for top entertainment brands. The company also oversees 1021 Entertainment—a joint label venture between Neon Coast, client Kane Brown and Sony Music Nashville—which serves as an incubator where developing artists can grow within a supportive environment. Earls started her career with a successful run in music publishing. Alongside Mike Molinar, the Pennsylvania native helped start the company that would become Big Machine Music. From there she went on to work with and learn from some of the biggest names in the industry, both execs and artists, before discovering Kane Brown online and beginning her work in artist management.
Beth Hamilton
Beth Hamilton – Agent, WME
Beth Hamilton is a seasoned veteran in the music industry and has been with WME since 2016. In her role as an agent, she manages the daily touring opportunities for multiple artists, including Chris Stapleton, Eric Church, Luke Bryan, Dierks Bentley, Brothers Osborne, Ashley McBryde, The Cadillac Three, Caylee Hammack, Caitlyn Smith and others. Prior to being an agent, Hamilton began her career working at music venues—notably the Lucas Theatre in Savannah, Georgia—before joining the former William Morris Agency as an assistant booking the Northeast territory. In 2008, she transitioned into artist management at Modern Management working with Josh Turner, Sara Evans and Diamond Rio before returning to the agency side of the business in 2016 to work alongside WME Nashville office co-head Jay Williams. Outside of being a respected agent, she actively volunteers her time supporting the Women of Endeavor mentorship program and offering career guidance to young females aspiring to make an impact in the music business.
Jackie Jones
Jackie Jones – SVP, Artist and Industry Relations, RIAA
Jackie Jones is the SVP, Artist and Industry Relations for the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and serves as the organization’s chief representative in Nashville. Bringing together artists, managers, labels, venues, and creator advocacy groups, Jones works every day to deepen, understand and enrich personal and professional ties throughout every segment of the music community. Jones not only works to elevate creators across genres nationwide, but also serves as a conduit for the D.C. world of copyright reform, trade negotiations, and local creative industry policymaking. Just as RIAA’s D.C. team builds consensus and forges ahead for a unified music community approach to industry policy challenges and a healthy long-term music ecosystem, Jones does the same throughout the music community. She regularly produces educational and music community outreach events, as well as national Gold & Platinum certification plaque presentations that recognize artist and label excellence. Jones also works closely with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Musicians On Call, Family Alliance in Music (FAM) and the TSU Music Business Accelerator program. Prior to joining the RIAA, Jones was Director of Music and Talent for CMT.
Brittany Schaffer
Brittany Schaffer – Head of Nashville Label Partnerships, Music Strategy, Spotify
As Head of Nashville Label Partnerships, Music Strategy, Brittany Schaffer co-leads Spotify’s Music Team in Nashville, with responsibility for setting the vision of the team and cultivating and nurturing industry partnerships across the greater Nashville market. Schaffer co-leads the development and execution of Spotify’s global strategy to grow the country, Christian/Gospel, and Americana genres, and has been a leader in an era-defining shift in country music consumption habits. Her work includes the transformation and marketing of the flagship playlists Hot Country and Indigo, bringing country music to fans through Spotify’s annual four-day activation at CMA Fest, extending the St. Jude t-shirt campaign into streaming, and ongoing global artist marketing campaigns. Schaffer has also been instrumental in strategically acquiring and retaining an impressive team to meaningfully bolster Spotify’s presence in the Nashville market and has built a culture of teamwork and collaboration that fuels Spotify’s partnerships across Nashville. Outside of Spotify, Schaffer is a highly engaged board member of CMA, CRB, and St. Jude Country Cares. Prior to joining Spotify in January 2018, Schaffer spent more than seven years practicing law in the Entertainment Department of Loeb & Loeb, LLP, where she was Senior Legal Counsel.
Anna Weisband
Anna Weisband – VP of A&R, Sony Music Publishing
As VP of A&R at Sony Music Publishing, Anna Weisband manages the daily songwriting strategy for a stellar roster including Miranda Lambert, Kelsea Ballerini, Cole Swindell, Chris Young, Lainey Wilson, Emily Weisband, Josh Kear and MacKenzie Porter. A graduate of Belmont University, Weisband began her career as a THiS Music intern, and quickly established herself as a young executive on Music Row. Later in her career, Weisband began carrying out A&R duties including talent discovery, collaboration creation, artist management, and song placement for the company’s roster of 14 award-winning songwriters, producers, and artists, including two-time ASCAP Songwriter of the Year Ben Hayslip, Hall of Fame songwriter Tim Nichols, and Emily Weisband. In 2017 Weisband was promoted to Vice President at THiS Music at the age of 23, a position she earned after five years at the Warner Chappell joint venture, led by co-owner/General Manager Rusty Gaston. When Gaston joined Sony Music Publishing in 2020, Weisband followed, becoming VP of Creative.
Bob Pinson Recorded Sound Collection Honors 50 Years With Special CMHOF Panel
/by Lorie HollabaughIn 1972, the museum acquired the collection of over 14,000 rare phonograph records and radio transcription discs, which doubled the size of the museum’s recorded-sound holdings and set the institution on its path to becoming a premier archive and research center.
Today, the collection contains an estimated 98 percent of all pre-World War II commercial country recordings, in addition to tens of thousands of country recordings released afterwards, all the way up to the present day. With more than 250,000 phonograph cylinders, disc records, tapes, CDs and digital files, it ranks among the world’s largest collections of country music recordings.
The public program at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will celebrate the museum’s 50-year custodianship of the sound collection, and the immeasurable ways the late Bob Pinson helped curate, preserve and expand the collection as a longtime member of the staff. Moderated by the museum’s Historian-Editor Patrick Huber, the panel discussion will include: University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Audio-Visual Preservation Archivist and folklorist Nathan D. Gibson; past Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts and former CMHOF Director who negotiated the collection’s acquisition, folklorist Bill Ivey; and scholar and discographer Tony Russell, with whom Pinson worked to research and produce the museum’s definitive Country Music Records: A Discography, 1921-1942.
Following the panel, the museum’s longtime Curator of Recorded-Sound Collections, Alan Stoker, will lead a listening session and discuss records from the collection, including several of Pinson’s favorite recordings. The program is included with museum admission, and is free to museum members. Seating is limited, and a program ticket is required for admittance and can be purchased here.
Industry Ink: Sony Music Nashville, Sony Music Publishing, MTSU, More
/by Liza AndersonSony Music Nashville Represents At 65th Annual Grammy Awards
Pictured (L-R): Ken Robold, Maren Morris, Randy Goodman, Ryan Hurd, Luke Combs and Taylor Lindsey Southerland
Sony Music Nashville posed a strong presence at the 65th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 5.
Nominees Luke Combs, Ryan Hurd, Miranda Lambert and Maren Morris were among those in attendance at the award show. Combs also performed his latest hit “Going, Going, Gone” during the ceremony.
Sony Music Nashville Chairman & CEO Randy Goodman, Executive Vice President & COO Ken Robold, Senior Vice President, A&R Taylor Lindsey Southerland and more celebrated with the nominees at the Sony Music Group after party.
Sony Music Publishing Nashville Attends Grammy Awards After Party
Pictured (L-R): Anna Weisband, Kelsea Ballerini and Rusty Gaston
Sony Music Publishing Nashville team members, including CEO Rusty Gaston, Vice President of A&R Anna Weisband and more, celebrated the 65th Annual Grammy Awards with artists at Sony Music Group’s post-award show party on Sunday, Feb. 5.
MTSU Honors Alumnus & 2023 Grammy Nominee Brandon Bell
Pictured (L-R): MTSU Associate Professor Odie Blackmon, President Sidney A. McPhee, Brandon Bell, Professor Cosette Collier, Dean Beverly Keel, Assistant Professor Denise Shackelford and Assistant Professor Michelle Conceison. Photo: Andrew Oppmann
Members of the MTSU community came together on the rooftop of the Mama Shelter hotel in Los Angeles, California on Saturday (Feb. 4) for their traditional pre-Grammy Awards gathering to celebrate five former students who were nominated, including sound engineer Brandon Bell, whom they honored with a special certificate.
Due to his work on Brandi Carlile’s In These Silent Days, the 2004 recording industry graduate earned nominations for Album of the Year and Record of the Year. The album took home Best Americana Album at this year’s awards.
Additionally, Bell has engineered projects for artists including Amythyst Kiah, Zac Brown Band and The Lonely Island as well as the Steep Canyon Rangers, whose bluegrass album won him a Grammy in 2013.
“Brandon has been doing important work for years, so I am delighted that he received multiple nominations for this year’s Grammy Awards,” shared MTSU College of Media & Entertainment Dean Beverly Keel. “He is building a body of work that is shaping popular music and will stand the test of time.”
Keel and MTSU College of Media & Entertainment President Sidney A. McPhee presented Bell with the honor during the event.
Billy Blue Publishing Signs John Meador
Pictured (L-R): Daywind Music Group’s Ed Leonard, John Meador and Billy Blue Publishing’s Joe Dan Cornett
Billy Blue Publishing has signed singer-songwriter and guitarist John Meador to an exclusive publishing deal.
Meador is a member of the bluegrass group Authentic Unlimited and penned one of their 2022 releases, “Hannah.” The signing follows his 2023 National Bluegrass Awards nomination for Bluegrass Songwriter of the Year.
“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome John to our Billy Blue Publishing family,” says Joe Dan Cornett, Billy Blue Publishing Creative Director. “His passion for bluegrass music and songwriting is fervent, and he will prove to be a huge asset to BBP as we continue to serve each and every artist in this genre through the songs our songwriters create. Welcome John! We could not be more excited!”
Billy Blue Publishing launched in 2019 and is home to songwriters Alan Bibey, Barry Abernathy, Bill Whyte, Darrell Webb, David Morris, Donna Ulisse, Jason Barie, Jerry Cole, Jim VanCleve, Kristy Cox and Laura Leigh Jones.
Dolly Record Of The Month Subscription Coming To Vinyl Me, Please
/by Lorie HollabaughVinyl Me, Please and Dolly Parton are rolling out a first-of-its-kind monthly record club devoted to Dolly’s catalog, Vinyl Me, Parton.
Beginning in April, fans can obtain some of Dolly’s catalog on vinyl, with twelve Records of the Month spanning the entirety of the legend’s recording career. Ranging from her debut to some of her recent self-released albums, the twelve albums included in the Vinyl Me, Parton campaign will come on exclusive color vinyl, remastered from the highest quality audio sources.
Each quarter will feature a free and exclusive Vinyl Me, Parton merch item as well. Each release was remastered in Nashville by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound in Nashville, and comes with a Vinyl Me, Parton obi-strip to make the albums stand out on Dolly fans’ shelves.
“I love listening to records, and to know that fans around the world are discovering music on vinyl is wonderful,” says Parton. “I am really happy to see some of my favorite albums that have been out of print on vinyl or were never pressed on vinyl be made available. What’s old is new again!”
Curated by Vinyl Me, Please and Dolly, many of the albums featured have not been reissued since their release dates, and some of them are appearing on vinyl for the first time. Dolly’s landmark ’70s albums Jolene, My Tennessee Mountain Home, and New Harvest…First Gathering, early classics like Hello, I’m Dolly and Just Because I’m a Woman, and recent favorites like Better Day and Blue Smoke, are all getting the vinyl treatment.
Fan favorite mega smash 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs is getting its first vinyl reissue in almost 40 years, and bluegrass albums Little Sparrow and Halos & Horns, the chart-topping Backwoods Barbie, and Those Were the Days all also make their vinyl debut as part of Vinyl Me, Parton.
“It’s a true honor for us to launch this Dolly-centric subscription,” shares Vinyl Me, Please Director of Music Andrew Winistorfer. “We’ve never focused a subscription on a single artist, and it made too much sense for us to do it with Dolly: So much of her catalog has been untouched and under-reissued on vinyl, and some of her biggest albums from the ‘00s never came out on vinyl at all thanks to the era. Dolly is one of America’s National Treasures, and we hope Vinyl Me, Parton can serve as something that reminds both Dolly fans, and those unfamiliar with her LPs, that she’s one of the best songwriters we’ve ever had, and one of the best performers. These albums deserve to be heard on vinyl, and deserve to be celebrated anew.”
Subscriptions will be available in exclusive limited term engagements of 3, 6 and 12 months, and space will be limited, with pre-orders available now.
Marty Stuart Announces First New Album In Six Years, ‘Altitude,’ Out May 19
/by Steven BoeroCountry Music Hall of Famer and AMA Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Marty Stuart has announced his new album, Altitude. It will be released on May 19 via Snakefarm.
The announcement of his first new album in more than six years finds Stuart on the heels of a string of professional and personal achievements in an already unprecedented career. Late last year, Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives were inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and he celebrated his 50th year in Nashville and 30th anniversary as a Grand Ole Opry member.
Recorded in Nashville with his longtime band The Fabulous Superlatives—Kenny Vaughan, Harry Stinson and Chris Scruggs—the collection finds Stuart picking up where he left off on 2017’s Way Out West, exploring a cosmic country landscape populated by dreamers and drifters, misfits and angels, honky-tonk heroes and lonesome lovers.
Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives. Photo: by Alysse Gafkjen
Stuart commemorated the announcement with the release of the album’s title track “Altitude” along with a visualizer for their previously released single “Country Star.”
“I’ve been quoted as saying the most outlaw thing you can possibly do in Nashville, Tennessee, these days is to play country music. It can be done,” Stuart explains. “On Altitude, there’s twin fiddles, steel guitar, and the legendary Pig Robbins playing piano on what turned out to be one of his last recording sessions.
“The song is a reminder to me, and to anyone else still interested, that there’s a few of us out here who still know how to make authentic country music. I have an absolute belief that there’s a world of people out there who still love it, as my wife Connie Smith says it’s the ‘cry of the heart,’ Harlan Howard said ‘it’s’ three chords and the truth’—that’s country music.”
Stuart and his band are set to embark on a coast-to-coast tour that kicks off on Feb. 9 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with a performance at Stagecoach Music Festival on April 29. This summer, he will hit the road with Chris Stapleton for a run of dates. Tickets are on sale now, with more dates to be announced later this year.
Altitude is now available for pre-order.
Altitude tracklist:
1) Lost Byrd Space Train (Scene 1)
2) Country Star
3) Sitting Alone
4) A Friend Of Mine
5) Space
6) Altitude
7) Vegas
8) The Sun Is Quietly Sleeping
9) Lost Byrd Space Train (Scene 2)
10) Night Riding
11) Tomahawk
12) Time To Dance
13) The Angels Came Down
14) Lost Byrd Space Train (Epilogue)
Zach Bryan Inks Global Publishing Deal With Warner Chappell Music
/by Lorie HollabaughZach Bryan. Photo: Kristín Braga Wright
Breakout star Zach Bryan has signed a global publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music.
“Zach has already had a record-breaking start to his career and there’s so much more to come,” says Warner Chappell Music President, North America Ryan Press. “He isn’t afraid to do things differently, and it’s been incredible to see him become such a positive force in the industry and reshape how singer/songwriters release music. This is a huge moment, and we’re very proud to be on this journey together as he continues to carve out his own path.”
“Zach is a truly generational songwriter and that was obvious from the first time I heard his music,” adds Warner Chappell Music Head of A&R, Australia & Vice President, Creative David Goldsen. “Those songs then, along with countless more since, resonate with everyone who hears them. He’s a natural storyteller with an innate ability to write songs that are unapologetically raw and vulnerable. In a short amount of time, he’s captivated fans of all music, and we’re beyond lucky and thrilled to work with him.”
An Oklahoma native and Navy veteran, Bryan rose to prominence in 2019 when a video of him singing his soulful song “Heading South” went viral. The Platinum track has since amassed more than 19 million views. Later that year, Bryan released his debut album DeAnn, followed by his second album, Elisabeth in 2020. He signed with Warner Records in 2021, and released his major label debut, American Heartbreak, in May of 2022, and embarked on a massive U.S. tour.
Following his record-breaking debut, Bryan released the EP Summertime Blues, which debuted in the top 10 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart. He closed out 2022 by dropping a surprise 24-track live album, All My Homies Hate Ticketmaster on Christmas Day, which was recorded just seven weeks earlier at Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheater and topped the Apple Music Country chart. He also appeared on the fifth season of Kevin Costner’s blockbuster Yellowstone series.
Crowned Billboard’s Top New Country Artist of 2022, Bryan’s multi-Platinum smash “Something in the Orange” is the first song penned by a single writer since Taylor Swift’s “Love Story (Taylor’s Version)” to top the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, and is his first track to reach the top 10 on the Hot 100. He also recently broke the record for most weeks spent at No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Songwriters chart.
“I’d like to personally thank David and the team over at Warner Chappell,” says Bryan. “I was just a confused kid in the Navy four years ago and they were the first people I talked to in the industry, literally. They never pushed a four-man writing team on me, they never asked me to do anything I didn’t want to do, they just believed in me. I owe them more than just support, I owe them back the faith they had in me as a barely 23-year-old Oklahoma kid walking around New York like a sore thumb.”
Bryan will be kicking off his “Burn Burn Burn Tour” in May. He recently teamed up with Maggie Rogers on the single “Dawns,” and is currently working on his next album, Writers and Fighters.
Penny Gattis Named Chair Of 2023 Music Row Habitat For Humanity Build
/by Lorie HollabaughGattis has been championing songwriters for over a decade as General Manager, Publishing at Eclipse Music Group, where she oversees all aspects of the company including the careers of its writers/artists. In her new role as Chair, she will be in charge of fundraising for the 2023 home and for the Music Row Build fund.
Currently in Nashville, 70 percent of low-income renters are cost burdened and according to the National Association of Realtors, approximately 56 percent of all homes listed in Nashville are only affordable to households with an annual income of more than $100,000.
“I’m honored to Chair the 2023 Music Row Build,” says Gattis. “To witness firsthand the life-changing impact that occurs when the music community comes together to help a hardworking and deserving Nashvillian achieve home ownership is really special.”
The 2023 build will be in support of a single mother of four children, LaShawnda, ranging in ages from 6 to 16. The build is set for May 13 and Gattis will be announcing upcoming events throughout the year to support the build fund.
Music industry veteran Renee Bell started the Music Row Build in 2003, joining forces with Ree Guyer in 2005. Together, they helped nine local families purchase affordable homes before it ended in 2012. In 2022, Guyer donated $100,000 to establish the Music Row Build fund, with the goal of raising $500,000. To date the group has raised more than $160,000 and helped 11 families purchase affordable homes. Mark Brown reignited the build in 2020 and guided the initiative through 2022.
Concord President Bob Valentine To Rise To CEO In July
/by Lorie HollabaughPascucci will remain a member of Concord’s Board of Directors and both Pascucci and Whalley will be inaugural members of a newly-formed Concord Advisory Board along with Jake Wisely, Concord’s former Chief Publishing Officer. Whalley will also continue his day-to-day involvement in Loma Vista Recordings, his label joint-venture with Concord.
Valentine joined Norman Lear’s Act III Communications in 1999 when it acquired Concord Records. In 2001, he left Act III to join Fox Entertainment’s television business development group, focusing on corporate M&A and business development initiatives at Fox and its parent company News Corp. In 2005, Valentine returned to Concord to fulfill the role of CFO and served in that capacity until 2021, when he was named President. He started his career as a Financial Analyst in Morgan Stanley’s Investment Banking division, and received his M.B.A. from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management and his undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame.
“The Concord Executive Team of 2023 is the most experienced in the company’s history, with the deepest bench of future leaders, making the 10th anniversary of our commitment to the company the ideal time for this leadership transition,” says Concord Vice Chairman Alex Thomson. “Bob Valentine is an inventive and resourceful executive, uniquely qualified to both embrace the company’s legacy and navigate its vast future potential as the next Chief Executive of Concord.”
Hit Songwriter Pat Bunch Passes
/by Robert K OermannAward-winning lyricist Pat Bunch died last week at age 83.
She is best known for co-writing such hits as “I’ll Still Be Loving You” by Restless Heart (1987), “Safe in the Arms of Love” by Martina McBride (1995) and “Wild One” by Faith Hill (1993). More than 100 other artists have recorded her songs.
Patricia Karen Bunch Price was a native of Zanesville, Ohio. She began her songwriting career in Nashville in the 1970s when she was approaching her 40th birthday.
Bunch’s first single as a writer was with Lynn Anderson, who released “Last Love of My Life” in 1978. Connie Smith and David Houston charted with Bunch co-written songs in 1979. Later that year, the songwriter scored her first top 10 hit via “Holding the Bag,” recorded by Moe Bandy and Joe Stampley.
Her top 10 hits of the 1980s included Crystal Gayle’s “Me Against the Night” in 1984 plus Janie Fricke’s “The First Word in Memory Is Me” and “Somebody Else’s Fire,” both in 1985. “I’ll Still Be Loving You” topped the country charts and crossed over to become an A/C and pop hit as well. The 1987 hit won awards from both BMI and ASCAP and was nominated for a Grammy.
Ty Herndon had huge successes with her “I Want My Goodbye Back” in 1995 and “Living in a Moment” in 1996. McBride’s 1995 hit “Safe in the Arms of Love” was recorded by eight other artists. Similarly, “Wild One”(sometimes listed as “She’s a Wild One”) had six cover versions.
Among those scoring top 40 country hits with Bunch’s lyrics were Baillie & The Boys (1987’s “He’s Letting Go”), Collin Raye (1995’s “What If Jesus Comes Back Like That”), Terri Clark (2005’s “She Didn’t Have Time”), and Steve Holy (2006’s “Come On Rain”). Others who did so included Herndon (1997’s “I Have to Surrender”), BlackHawk (2000’s “I Need You All the Time”) and Chris Janson (2013’s “Better I Don’t”).
Other notable cuts included Suzy Bogguss’ single of “You Wouldn’t Say That to a Stranger,” Carlene Carter’s version of “Love Like That,” the John Michael Montgomery treatment of “Even Then,” Keith Harling’s holiday release “Santa’s Got a Semi” and Kenny Rogers’ performance of “Slow Dance More.”
Early in her career, Bunch’s most frequent songwriting collaborators were Pam Rose and Mary Ann Kennedy. These two recorded songs co-written with Bunch during their stints as members of the bands Calamity Jane and Kennedy Rose. Later, Bunch often collaborated with Doug Johnson. Other songwriting partners included Shane Teeters, Nicole Witt, Dan Mitchell and Buck Moore.
Her lyrics were particularly favored by female country artists. Patty Loveless, Reba McEntire, Tammy Wynette, Juice Newton, The Forester Sisters, Lacy J. Dalton, Judy Rodman, Barbara Mandrell, Michelle Wright, Dottie West, Pam Tillis, Shelby Lynne, Sylvia, Lauren Alaina and Mary Chapin Carpenter are among those who recorded her songs. Bunch’s male-country song clients included Don Williams, Billy Dean, Lee Greenwood, Charley Pride, Gene Watson, Mark Wills, The Gatlins, George Strait, Sammy
Kershaw, Clay Walker and The Oak Ridge Boys.
The songwriter was not limited to the country scene. Among the non-country artists who recorded her works were Glenn Frey, Jill Sobule, Art Garfunkel, Percy Sledge, Joan Baez, Soul Sistas and Petula Clark.
Pat Bunch died on Jan. 30 at her home in Cross Plains, Tennessee. She is survived by her husband of 45 years, James Price, as well as by sons Randy Archer, Robin Archer and Rusty Archer, plus nine grandchildren.
There are no services or visitation planned. Arrangements are entrusted to Austin & Bell, 533 Highway 76 White House, Tennessee, 37188, (615- 672-5000, austinandbell.com).
MusicRow Announces 2023 Rising Women On The Row Honorees
/by LB CantrellMusicRow is proud to reveal the honorees for its 10th annual Rising Women on the Row celebration. This year’s ceremony will honor six female executives who are making a significant impact on Nashville’s country music industry.
City National Bank and Loeb & Loeb are Presenting Sponsors for the 2023 Rising Women on the Row, which will take place at the Omni Nashville Hotel on the morning of March 23.
River House Artists President & Founder, Lynn Oliver-Cline, will be the featured speaker at the event. Attendees will be treated to insights from Oliver-Cline during an on-stage interview with MusicRow Owner/Publisher Sherod Robertson.
Tickets are now closed and will not be sold at the door.
This year’s honorees include:
Stacy Blythe
Stacy Blythe – SVP of Promotion, Big Loud Records
Leading Big Loud Records in achieving 14 No. 1 singles in seven years of business, Stacy Blythe is a vital part of the ever-changing game of radio promotion, storming right out of the gate in 2015 with the label’s first-ever single release, and driving it to the top of the charts for then-newcomer Chris Lane’s Gold breakout, “Fix.” As SVP of Promotion, she spearheads a team of 10, securing and maximizing airplay for the label’s roster, including Morgan Wallen, Jake Owen, Lauren Alaina, Hardy, MacKenzie Porter, Ernest, Hailey Whitters, Ben Burgess, Larry Fleet, Lily Rose, Ashley Cooke, and Jake Worthington. She has contributed to the Big Loud roster earning multiple Gold, Platinum, and multi-Platinum certifications and accounting for more than 17 billion global streams to date, making Big Loud Records the Billboard Hot Country Songs label of the year for the last two years. The Pittsburgh native is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University with other notable career stops at Category 5 Records, 1720 Entertainment, and Stoney Creek Records.
Martha Earls
Martha Earls – Owner and Manager, Neon Coast
Martha Earls founded and leads entertainment company Neon Coast. Through its management division, Neon Coast represents a diverse slate of multi-Platinum selling, critically acclaimed talent including Kane Brown, Restless Road, Dylan Schneider, Nightly, Feather and others. Its in-house production company—Demasiado—has been honored with CMT and ACM Awards and produced content for top entertainment brands. The company also oversees 1021 Entertainment—a joint label venture between Neon Coast, client Kane Brown and Sony Music Nashville—which serves as an incubator where developing artists can grow within a supportive environment. Earls started her career with a successful run in music publishing. Alongside Mike Molinar, the Pennsylvania native helped start the company that would become Big Machine Music. From there she went on to work with and learn from some of the biggest names in the industry, both execs and artists, before discovering Kane Brown online and beginning her work in artist management.
Beth Hamilton
Beth Hamilton – Agent, WME
Beth Hamilton is a seasoned veteran in the music industry and has been with WME since 2016. In her role as an agent, she manages the daily touring opportunities for multiple artists, including Chris Stapleton, Eric Church, Luke Bryan, Dierks Bentley, Brothers Osborne, Ashley McBryde, The Cadillac Three, Caylee Hammack, Caitlyn Smith and others. Prior to being an agent, Hamilton began her career working at music venues—notably the Lucas Theatre in Savannah, Georgia—before joining the former William Morris Agency as an assistant booking the Northeast territory. In 2008, she transitioned into artist management at Modern Management working with Josh Turner, Sara Evans and Diamond Rio before returning to the agency side of the business in 2016 to work alongside WME Nashville office co-head Jay Williams. Outside of being a respected agent, she actively volunteers her time supporting the Women of Endeavor mentorship program and offering career guidance to young females aspiring to make an impact in the music business.
Jackie Jones
Jackie Jones – SVP, Artist and Industry Relations, RIAA
Jackie Jones is the SVP, Artist and Industry Relations for the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and serves as the organization’s chief representative in Nashville. Bringing together artists, managers, labels, venues, and creator advocacy groups, Jones works every day to deepen, understand and enrich personal and professional ties throughout every segment of the music community. Jones not only works to elevate creators across genres nationwide, but also serves as a conduit for the D.C. world of copyright reform, trade negotiations, and local creative industry policymaking. Just as RIAA’s D.C. team builds consensus and forges ahead for a unified music community approach to industry policy challenges and a healthy long-term music ecosystem, Jones does the same throughout the music community. She regularly produces educational and music community outreach events, as well as national Gold & Platinum certification plaque presentations that recognize artist and label excellence. Jones also works closely with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Musicians On Call, Family Alliance in Music (FAM) and the TSU Music Business Accelerator program. Prior to joining the RIAA, Jones was Director of Music and Talent for CMT.
Brittany Schaffer
Brittany Schaffer – Head of Nashville Label Partnerships, Music Strategy, Spotify
As Head of Nashville Label Partnerships, Music Strategy, Brittany Schaffer co-leads Spotify’s Music Team in Nashville, with responsibility for setting the vision of the team and cultivating and nurturing industry partnerships across the greater Nashville market. Schaffer co-leads the development and execution of Spotify’s global strategy to grow the country, Christian/Gospel, and Americana genres, and has been a leader in an era-defining shift in country music consumption habits. Her work includes the transformation and marketing of the flagship playlists Hot Country and Indigo, bringing country music to fans through Spotify’s annual four-day activation at CMA Fest, extending the St. Jude t-shirt campaign into streaming, and ongoing global artist marketing campaigns. Schaffer has also been instrumental in strategically acquiring and retaining an impressive team to meaningfully bolster Spotify’s presence in the Nashville market and has built a culture of teamwork and collaboration that fuels Spotify’s partnerships across Nashville. Outside of Spotify, Schaffer is a highly engaged board member of CMA, CRB, and St. Jude Country Cares. Prior to joining Spotify in January 2018, Schaffer spent more than seven years practicing law in the Entertainment Department of Loeb & Loeb, LLP, where she was Senior Legal Counsel.
Anna Weisband
Anna Weisband – VP of A&R, Sony Music Publishing
As VP of A&R at Sony Music Publishing, Anna Weisband manages the daily songwriting strategy for a stellar roster including Miranda Lambert, Kelsea Ballerini, Cole Swindell, Chris Young, Lainey Wilson, Emily Weisband, Josh Kear and MacKenzie Porter. A graduate of Belmont University, Weisband began her career as a THiS Music intern, and quickly established herself as a young executive on Music Row. Later in her career, Weisband began carrying out A&R duties including talent discovery, collaboration creation, artist management, and song placement for the company’s roster of 14 award-winning songwriters, producers, and artists, including two-time ASCAP Songwriter of the Year Ben Hayslip, Hall of Fame songwriter Tim Nichols, and Emily Weisband. In 2017 Weisband was promoted to Vice President at THiS Music at the age of 23, a position she earned after five years at the Warner Chappell joint venture, led by co-owner/General Manager Rusty Gaston. When Gaston joined Sony Music Publishing in 2020, Weisband followed, becoming VP of Creative.
2nd Annual ‘Breland & Friends’ Benefit For Oasis Center Set For April 4
/by Lorie HollabaughSpecial guests Alana Springsteen, Ashley Cooke, Avery Anna, Danielle Bradbery, Gary LeVox, Ingrid Andress, K. Michelle, Nate Smith, Temecula Road, Tenille Townes, X Ambassadors and more will join Breland for the show, which raised $140,000 last year for the Oasis Center. The Oasis Center helps young people and their families navigate the complex challenges of today, with over 20 programs and services to help respond to the area’s diverse needs.
Tickets are available for presale now through Thursday, Feb. 9 with the password OASIS23 via the ticket link here. Public on-sale will begin this Friday, Feb. 10.
Breland has also teamed up with Alana Springsteen for a new duet version of his single “For What It’s Worth,” dropping Feb. 17. This new collab features a never-before-heard verse penned by Springsteen and Liz Rose. He released a stripped-down, acoustic version of the fan favorite last Friday, Feb. 3.